Evanescent
by daydreamsonacloudyday
Summary: Various oneshots about my Pathfinder, Nova Ryder, and her relationship with Reyes Vidal.
1. Introduction

**Evanescent**

This is going to consist of a bunch of oneshots featuring my Pathfinder, Nova Ryder, and her relationship with Reyes (she does end things with Reyes after she finds out who he really is, and later falls for Liam). You can find a bunch of information about her (basic info, more romance info, bio, major decisions, etc.) on my tumblr (it's the same username as on here, and there is a link to her character page on my blog's sidebar).

Like with my other stories on here, the newest oneshot will be the very last chapter, and when I post a new one I'll put the others in chronological order (I'll also list them in chronological order here.)

* * *

Newest oneshot: Evanescent (Ch. 4)

Chronological order:  
More Than a Distraction (Ch. 2)  
Irresistible (Ch. 3)  
Evanescent (Ch. 4)


	2. More Than a Distraction

**More Than a Distraction**

Summary: Nova and Reyes need a distraction at Sloane's party. _(fluff)_

Notes: This is my version of what happens at Sloane's party with Nova and Reyes. Nova has feelings for Reyes, though she tries to pretend she doesn't because she's been warned that it's not a good idea for the Pathfinder to end up with an exile smuggler. This is my first Nova/Reyes fic, so I hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

"What the hell are you doing?"

Reyes snapped his gaze up to Nova as she narrowed her eyes, and he quickly stepped back from the crate.

"Nova! It's not what it looks like," he said, lifting his arms up in a defensive position.

Frowning, she stepped closer to him, crossing her arms over her chest. "So you didn't use me as a distraction to go through Sloane's stuff?"

"Okay, yes," Reyes admitted, slowly approaching her. "But it's for both our benefit! I promise."

"Really?" Nova began, noticing his gaze drift towards the doorway. She rolled her eyes and continued. "Do you want to explain how—"

"Shit—someone's coming!" he interrupted, his gaze darting around the room before landing on hers. "We need a distraction!"

Nova's stomach dropped. "Can't we just hide?"

"And risk being found among Sloane's things? No."

Looking around them for a spark of inspiration, Nova swallowed hard, the footsteps of whoever was approaching growing louder. She turned to Reyes, his brows furrowed and his lips pressed thin, and a scene from a vid she'd recently seen popped into her head.

Nova grabbed the front of Reyes' shirt and jerked him towards her, closing her eyes and pressing her lips to his. Without hesitating, Reyes responded, chasing away all thoughts of how kissing him was her _worst_ idea ever. His fingers brushed against her scalp as he cradled her head, sending tingles down her spine, the faint taste of alcohol on his lips as he deepened the kiss. Nova barely noticed his other hand on her hip, completely drawn in by the softness of his lips and the way he moved them against hers.

Reyes suddenly pulled back, leaving her breathless as she stared at him, blinking her eyes rapidly. He was looking towards the doorway again, and then he met her gaze, his lips curling into a smirk.

"I think we're in the clear," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Glancing back towards the door, Nova's eyes widened when she realized whoever had been coming was long gone by then. She cleared her throat as she turned back to Reyes, her heart thumping wildly in her chest.

"Right." She finally released his shirt, horrified that she'd still been grasping it. "That was just a distraction," she clarified, unsure if she was saying that for his benefit or _her own_. "It didn't mean anything."

Reyes' looked to her lips before meeting her eyes again, and she inhaled sharply, keenly aware of just how close he still was. "It'll be our little secret," he breathed, his accented voice deeper than usual.

He pulled away from her and she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding as she bit her lip. She didn't know what to expect when she kissed him, but she definitely didn't expect him to react like _that._ The man knew how to use his mouth, and all she wanted to do was kiss him again—despite the fact that she was _not_ supposed to want to kiss him in the first place.

 _That's what you get for watching so many vids with Liam_.

"Finally! Here it is," she heard Reyes say triumphantly, pulling her from her thoughts. He jumped down from the storage crate he was on, a bottle in his hand.

"Is that _whiskey_?" she asked, realizing what he was holding, a frown settling on her lips. "Don't tell me all of this was about _whiskey_?"

"The only bottle of Mount Milgrom in Andromeda. Triple-distilled and six hundred forty-five years old." Reyes practically cradled the bottle in his arms, and she quirked an eyebrow at him. "This isn't whiskey—it's _treasure_ ," he finished with conviction.

"There is something seriously wrong with you, Reyes."

To her surprise, he grinned at her and grabbed her by the hand, quickly tugging her towards the doorway out of the storage room. "Let's get out of here."

\- . - . - . - . -

"Gorgeous, isn't it?" Reyes said, looking out over Kadara Port beneath them from the perch they sat upon.

"It is beautiful," Nova said with a sigh, before a grin crept onto her lips. "You know, now that the water isn't on fire anymore."

Chuckling, Reyes tore his gaze from the view before them and turned it on her. "Is Andromeda everything you hoped it would be?"

"No," she muttered, sliding closer to him to grab the stolen whiskey from him, then taking another drink from it.

"No?"

"No." Nova's brows drew together as she stared down at the bottle in her hands. "I was a peacekeeper back in the Alliance, and then I was able to join a Prothean research team—to assist them with support and defense. Finding Prothean artifacts was fun and exciting at first, but then it got boring," she started, drawing out the last word, practically whining it. "All I did was shoot raiders and pirates and lift heavy stuff with my biotics. And it's not like my career was going anywhere thanks to my dad getting dishonorably discharged.

"When I signed up for the Initiative, I thought I was finally going to get to start over and have some adventure in my life," she continued. "I mean, don't get me wrong, coming to a new galaxy wasn't going to be easy, but I didn't think it was going to be _this_ hard." Pausing, Nova sighed and took another drink of whiskey. "My dad was supposed to be the Pathfinder, not me. He was supposed to lead the way, while my brother and I followed along while he did his Pathfinder-thing. But instead, he's dead, my brother is in a coma, and _I'm_ the one stuck figuring out how to make this damn place livable without them."

Nova sniffled, and passed the bottle of whiskey to Reyes.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, and she met his gaze, a sincere look in his eyes. "About your father and brother."

"It's fine, I'm just… sorry for dumping that on you. I ramble when I'm tipsy."

Reyes grinned. "You're tipsy _already_?"

"Lightweight, remember?" He let out a light laugh and she smiled. "What about you? Why'd you come to Andromeda?"

Looking out over Kadara again, he took a long sip of whiskey before he sighed. "To be someone," he simply said, his brows furrowing.

"You are someone, Reyes," Nova started, and he looked at her, an eyebrow quirked. "From what I've seen and heard, you're damn good at your job. And you're honorable—well, as honorable as a smuggler can be," she corrected, and he huffed. "Plus, you actually care about the people here. You wouldn't be helping me if you weren't." Nova tilted her head and studied him a moment. "You're a good person behind all the drinking, flirting, and sweet talk. Not everyone may see it, but I do."

Reyes stared at her, the intensity of his gaze startling, and she tore her eyes away from him.

"Sorry, I'm rambling again," she murmured.

"Nova," he breathed, his voice thick. She looked back at him, her breath rushing out of her lungs when she met his burning gaze. His lips were parted, his eyes focused on her.

"Yeah?"

"I'm starting to think that kiss was more than just a distraction," he said softly, a small smile on his lips. He brought his hand up to her face, his fingers brushing over her cheek. Nova leaned into his touch and swallowed hard.

"And if it was?" she whispered, looking back and forth between his eyes.

The corner of Reyes' lips quirked up as his smile grew, and he leaned in towards her. Nova closed her eyes as their noses brushed together, her breath catching in her throat when his lips met hers. This time, there were no thoughts of how it was a mistake or a bad idea, just that she wanted _more_.

Nova pulled him closer as their lips moved over each others, her fingers digging into his back, a soft moan slipping out of her mouth as he did the same, his fingers tangling in her hair.

When they finally broke apart, they were both panting, his forehead resting against hers as his breath tickled her lips.

"I should get you back to your ship," Reyes said.

"I don't want to go back yet."

"What do you want?"

" _You_ ," she breathed, meeting his gaze.

"As tempting as that sounds," he began, eyes darting to her lips quickly, "I promised to be a perfect gentleman."

"You don't have to be."

Reyes laughed before he pulled back. "Let's go."

"Fine," she said, huffing.

He stood and offered her his hand. Nova took it, the world spinning as she rose up from the crates they sat upon, and she placed her other hand on his chest to steady herself.

"Okay," she started, trying to regain her balance. "I think I'm more than just a bit tipsy."

"You think?" Reyes said with a chuckle, and she rolled her eyes at him, biting back a smile as he escorted her back to the Tempest.

"Thank you for walking me back to the ship."

"Perfect gentleman, remember?" he replied, grinning.

Nova smiled back and then sighed, wishing their night wasn't coming to an end. "Goodnight, Reyes," she said softly, her eyes locked on his.

Her breath caught in her throat as he moved closer to her, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, his gaze boring into hers. "Goodnight, Nova," he breathed, before winking at her and turning to leave.

Her mouth fell open as she watched him walk away, her stomach flipping. When he was out of sight, she huffed a laugh— _of course_ he would leave like that.

Nova knew that being with Reyes was a bad idea. Most of her friends had already warned her that he was a shifty criminal that she shouldn't trust, despite his urge to help her get an outpost on Kadara. Not to mention that the Nexus would never accept the Pathfinder being involved with an exile.

But, despite all of it, Nova had feelings for Reyes Vidal… and there was no denying it anymore.


	3. Irresistible

**Irresistible**

Summary: Nova and Reyes get distracted by each other when he tags along for a mission. _(fluff)_

Notes: Nova and Reyes have been together for a little while at this point, and while a lot of their relationship at this point is mostly sexy times, they have talked about how it's more than just sleeping together. They don't know what it is or where it's going, but it's _something_ and they care about each other, so they're just letting it play out. Also, Liam's totally got romantic feelings for Nova at this point, but she has no idea whatsoever, so he just tries to ignore his feelings because he wants her to be happy regardless of who she's with.

* * *

Nova stared at the exile before them, her lips pursed as she gave the woman a once-over. While it was generally warm in Kadara, the woman was sweating a bit more than one would expect, her skin pale. There were dark circles under her eyes, and Nova could barely focus on what she was saying, distracted by her chapped, peeling lips.

When the woman finished explaining her situation, Liam turned his gaze on Nova, staring at her expectedly.

"So, are we gonna help?"

Nova perked up, flashing the woman a smile. "Of course we're gonna help."

The woman thanked them and left, disappearing into the crowds of the marketplace.

"So, is it just me, or is she totally going through withdrawal from Oblivion?" Nova asked, quirking an eyebrow at Liam.

"We're still going to help her, right? Innocent people are getting dragged into this."

"Semi-innocent people—we're on Kadara, after all," she replied. "But yes, we are going to help them. And we're also going to talk to Dr. Nakamoto about him possibly whipping up something to help everyone who was hooked on Oblivion."

"Brilliant," Liam said, a grin lighting up his face.

She smiled back. "What can I say? I'm just that awesome."

Snorting a laugh, Liam shook his head. "There's just one problem. We don't know where the hostages are."

"We don't, but I know someone who might be able to help us get a lead." Nova pulled up her omni-tool and vid-called Reyes. When he picked up, his lips curled into a smirk.

"Nova! I was just thinking about you."

"You were?"

"I was thinking about last night. And this morning. How you—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Reyes!" Nova swallowed hard, heat rushing to her cheeks. "We're not alone," she continued, angling her omni-tool to get Liam in the frame. "Liam's here, too."

He stood next to her, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Don't mind me. I can just go."

Huffing, Nova shot him a glare. "You're not going anywhere." She focused back on her omni-tool, a smirk still on Reyes' face. "We need your help. Have you heard anything about Outcasts taking people hostage for ransom? You know, once they realized beating them wouldn't get them their credits."

"I've heard some things. Why do you ask?"

"Liam and I are going on a daring rescue. Any idea where the hostages might be?"

Reyes chuckled. "I'll work my contacts and get back to you."

"Thanks, Reyes."

He smiled at her. "Anything for you, Nova."

\- . - . - . - . -

When Reyes got back to her about a few possible locations for the Outcast facility where the hostages were being held, Nova and Liam went to gather up the rest of the squad for the mission. Upon discovering they were all busy with other things, they grabbed their gear and set out for the badlands alone. The first location Reyes gave them was a bust, so they moved onto the next one, a structure built into the edge of one of Kadara's mountains.

As Nova drove the Nomad closer to the building, she noticed a shuttle parked not too far from the base of the mountain, a figure leaning against it. When she could make out who it was, she smiled to herself, a lightness settling in her chest as she pulled up the Nomad.

"Reyes, what are you doing here?" she called out as she climbed out of the rover.

Standing up straight, Reyes flashed her a grin as he sauntered towards her. "I figured you could use the extra hand."

"We can take care of ourselves," Liam commented, coming up behind Nova, his gun in his hands.

"Yeah, we can, but who knows ho big that place is," Nova pointed out. "We can't exactly see it since it's inside the mountain. We might need the help."

"All right," Liam sighed. He turned his attention to Nova, giving her a lopsided smile. "Take two of our daring rescue."

With a laugh, Nova grabbed her gun and led them towards the entrance of the facility.

It was definitely the right place, a few Outcast soldiers guarding the first room inside. Before they were seen, the three of them hid and devised a plan—Reyes would sneak around and plant some bombs like he did at the Roekaar base, and they would take out the Outcasts during the explosions, catching them by surprise.

Nova held her breath as Reyes slinked away from her and Liam, staying concealed in the shadows. Her finger was on the trigger of her gun, and her heart was beating rapidly, her body ready to use her biotics and her gun at any indication that Reyes was seen.

Trying to breathe steadily, she watched Reyes in his element. While he worked, he caught her gaze and smirked at her, a smoldering look in his eyes. Nova swallowed hard, her heart beating frantically for an entirely different reason than it was before. Reyes kept stealing glances at her, and she bit her lip, trying to ignore the way her body warmed in reaction to him.

 _Now is so_ not _the time to want to rip his clothes off_ , she thought to herself. _But god, that is_ hot _._

When he returned to their hiding spot, he crouched down next to her and Liam, and she was well aware of just how close his body was, and what that was doing to her.

"Are you all right, Nova?" he asked, feigning innocence.

 _Bastard._

"I'm fine," she said, shooting him a glare. She couldn't hold the nasty look she was trying to give him and huffed, shaking her head as she bit back a smile. "Let's take them out, find the hostages, and save the day."

Once the explosives detonated, the three of them made quick work of the startled Outcasts. They found the hostages locked in a room, and Liam offered to stay behind with them while Nova and Reyes cleared out the rest of the facility.

They swept through the rest of the rooms, ending up right back where they started. Before they were able to join the others, Nova felt Reyes grab her arm. The next thing she knew, he whirled her around and held her close—as close as he could with their armor between them.

"We're finally alone," he murmured, holding his lips just above hers, a devious smile on his lips. "Can I tell you what I was thinking about when you called?"

Releasing a shaky breath, Nova tore her eyes from his lips and met his gaze. "We're not exactly alone. Liam and the hostages are right past that door," she replied. "We should probably get back to help him out with them. We'll have some real alone time _later_."

"I'm sure he's fine, he's a crisis specialist," Reyes countered.

 _He has a point_.

Reyes dipped his head, barely brushing his lips against hers to test the waters, seeing just how much he could get away with before they returned to Liam and the others. Nova couldn't resist, and slid her hand into his hair to jerk his head closer, pressing her mouth fully against his, the seemingly everlasting taste of alcohol on his lips.

He didn't hesitate to respond, immediately kissing her with fervor, drawing a low moan from the back of her throat as a pleasant tingle shot down her spine. He pressed her up against the wall, her body deliciously squeezed between the wall and _him_ , his hands tugging her close.

Breathing her name, Reyes broke the kiss and latches his lips onto her neck, lightly nibbling on her skin before soothing it with his lips and tongue. Nova's fingers curled into his scalp, her breathing starting to come in short pants, as his mouth continued its skilled work against her skin.

She felt his hands reach for the clasps of her armor, and she groaned, pushing against his chest, breaking their kiss.

"Reyes, we can't. Not here," she muttered, her heartbeat raging in her ears.

"The back room of Tartarus meets your standards, not to mention that storage room we found near the marketplace… but this doesn't?" he asked, his voice rougher than usual, sending a shiver down her neck. He kissed her, ever so lightly, and she groaned again, both in frustration and pleasure.

"But they're all in the next room," she said against his lips, sighing when he pulled back. She swallowed hard and opened her eyes, meeting his darkened gaze. "And we're on a mission."

"Fine," he said, stepping back from her and holding his hands up in a defensive position. "I'm nothing if not a gentleman."

"Oh god, Reyes, just stop," she replied, trying to ignore her lingering desire for him. "I know you want me as much as I want you right now."

"What makes you say that?"

"The look in your eyes," she answered, smugly. "You're practically undressing me with them right now."

Reyes smirked. "I can't get the image of you throwing around Outcasts with your biotics out of my head. It was…" he let out a short puff of air, his eyes boring into hers, "…absolutely enticing."

Nova's heart skipped a beat, and she could feel her skin flushing with warmth. "Okay, we need to go back. Right now."

Reyes chuckled, moving towards the door to the next room. They stepped through and were greeted with the sight of Liam tending to the hostages. Before Reyes joined him, he leaned over and whispered in her ear. "I'll see you at my place tonight?"

Nova grinned and bit her lip. "Absolutely."


	4. Evanescent

**Evanescent**

Summary: Nova finds out Reyes is the Charlatan.

Notes: I changed some stuff in my version of things: (1) when Nova and co. get to Kadara, Sloane doesn't have Vehn Terev in custody yet, and she says that she's going to have her people keep looking for him. While that's happening, Nova decides to stay in Kadara for a while and see if she can make it livable and try and get an outpost there, which is when she gets involved with Reyes. (2) While making Kadara livable, she does a few extra missions, some of which Reyes tags along for—one of them involves rescuing hostages from Outcasts ( _Irresistable)_. (3) I figure Reyes has got a tiny little place in Kadara's slums that he doesn't use much because he spends most of his time in Tartarus. (4) The Nomad can fit the entire squad.

* * *

Reyes was in deep shit. Despite his original intentions, he'd gone and fallen for the Initiative's Pathfinder, and he had fallen _hard_. He didn't think he loved Nova, not yet anyway, but he _could_ , he was headed in that direction for sure—and thoughts like that always had his his stomach unpleasantly twisting in his gut.

Trying to distract himself from those thoughts, Reyes trailed his eyes over Nova's body in the bed beside his, the sheets clinging to her curves as she lay on her side. Her thick, brown locks fell over her shoulder, and he reached out his hand, unable to stop himself from running his fingers through her hair. His gaze continued its path up to her face, over lips that were begging to be kissed, to those hazel eyes of hers, both brown and green at the same time, and completely bewitching.

Reyes could stare into her eyes for hours. He _wanted_ to stare into her eyes for hours. Once he took care of Sloane, things in Kadara would be better. Then maybe he could tell Nova who he really was, and she would still look at him like she was in that moment. But maybe he'd still wait to tell her, just in case…

"Reyes, why are you staring at me like that?" Nova asked, her voice pulling him from his thoughts.

Sending his fears to the back of his mind, he smirked and shifted closer to her under the covers. "I can't help it," he replied smoothly. "You are radiant, _mi luz_."

Her eyebrow quirked. "Did you just call me… 'your light?'"

"Yes."

Nova's smile grew. "Why?"

Reyes shot her a look of mock disbelief. "Do you not know the meaning of your own name?"

"It's my name, of course I know what it means," Nova said, annoyed, but Reyes didn't answer, patiently waiting for her to explain. She huffed, and leaned back into her pillow. "A nova's a star that suddenly becomes brighter for a short period of time, and then fades," she droned. "But it doesn't seem like you're saying it because of that."

"Why not?" he protested. "Kadara's future became brighter when you arrived."

A laugh escaped Nova's lips, and then she was smiling again, his heart doing that pleasant little flutter it did when she did such things. "Kind of cheesy, but I like it."

"Cheesy, but true," he continued, sitting up. "You stopped the Roekaar murders, took Oblivion off the streets, made the water drinkable, rescued hostages from Outcasts…"

"You helped with the Roekaar and the hostages," she teased. "A little."

"Always nice to be recognized."

Nova laughed, and he watched with a grin until she calmed. He swallowed hard and furrowed his brows, trying to figure out how to say what he wanted to say next. He was always good with words, but not when he had to convey his _feelings_. It especially did not help that he'd never felt the way he did about her before.

"Nova," he said softly, brows furrowed, eyes searching hers. She met his gaze and swallowed, sitting up in the bed, her brows curiously furrowing to match his. "You've made my life brighter," he continued, voice quiet, eyes boring into hers. "You make me want to be a better man. _Eres me luz, eres mi sol_."

She blinked those mesmerizing hazel eyes at him, processing his words, and a beautiful, broad grin spread across her face. Before he could say anything else, her hands were on his face, pulling him into a deep kiss as she crawled into his lap. Reyes wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as he lowered her back onto the bed.

They lost themselves in each other, and what Reyes couldn't make himself say with words he made clear with every press of his lips to Nova's skin and every gentle caress of his hands on her body. When they finished, they lay twined together, the sheets kicked off of their bodies as the sweat on their skin dried and cooled them.

Some time later, an alarm beeped on Nova's omni-tool, and she sighed.

"And where is the Pathfinder off to this time?" Reyes asked, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

"I have to take care of a few things before meeting Sloane later."

His heart stopped. "You're meeting Sloane?"

Nova turned in his arms so she was facing him, and propped herself up on her elbow. "She's meeting the Charlatan at a cave in Draullir and wants me as backup."

Now Reyes' heart was beating again, faster, the thumps loud in his ears. "Doesn't she have her own people for that?"

"Apparently she can't trust them because they're the ones the Charlatan used to beat up Kaetus," she explained.

Reyes frowned, lips pursed. "Since when do you care if Sloane gets taken out by the Charlatan?"

"I don't," she protested. "But she said the Initiative can have a presence on Kadara if I have her back, and I need her support if I'm ever going to establish an outpost here."

Shaking his head, he fixed her with a serious stare. "You shouldn't go."

Nova smirked. "You're worried about me."

"I don't want you caught up in the middle of the war between Sloane and the Charlatan."

"Sloane needs me, so she's not going to hurt me, and I told you, for whatever reason, the Charlatan doesn't want me hurt either. I'll be fine."

"Nova, please. Don't go," he begged.

" _Relax_ , I'm bringing the whole crew with me," she answered, narrowing her eyes at him. "Why are you getting so worked up about this?"

Reyes hesitated before answering—he could tell her the _real_ reason he didn't want her to go with Sloane to that cave and risk losing her right then and there, or he could stay quiet and not ruin any potential time they had left. Not to mention the fact that she could do something completely stupid and dangerous if she found out who he was before meeting Sloane. Reyes, being the selfish, almost-in-love man that he was, wasn't about to waste the few precious moments he had left with Nova—not if it could potentially keep her safe as well.

"If something happened to you… just be careful," he finally said, eyes searching hers, and she smiled at him.

I will, she said, punctuating her response with a kiss. Climbing out of bed, Nova pulled her clothes on and sent out a message on her omni-tool. He watched her, joining her when she was finished. "I'll see if I can stop by Tartarus later if this thing goes down smoothly. Maybe we can celebrate a future outpost."

Reyes forced himself to flash her a smile. "I'll see you later."

Nova pressed a quick kiss to his lips and turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back, planting his lips on hers once more. His hand cradled the back of her head as he kissed her thoroughly, her scent, the feel of her, _everything_ about her overwhelming him. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers, his eyes still closed.

"Goodbye Reyes."

Opening his eyes, he took a last look at her, his gaze lingering on her eyes, and nodded. "Goodbye, _mi luz_."

Nova smiled, stepped away from him, and then left, leaving Reyes alone with his thoughts. Almost immediately, they drifted to what she had said earlier, when describing her name.

 _A nova's a star that suddenly becomes brighter for a short period of time, and then fades._

Reyes only hoped that what happened in that cave wouldn't lead to what he had with Nova fading away like her namesake.

\- . - . - . - . -

"Are you sure the Charlatan said _this_ cave?" Nova asked, looking around the cavern of the cave she and Sloan had entered. "There's a lot of caves out here. We haven't seen any sign of him and we could totally be in the wrong cave."

"Yes, it's this cave," Sloane barked.

"Maybe he's late?"

"Look—"

"You look like you're waiting for someone," a masculine voice echoed, cutting off Sloane.

Nova froze, a chill slithering down her back—she knew that voice, _intimately_. Turning around, she found Reyes standing on a ledge in the cave, looking down at her and Sloane. She drew her brows together as her mind began to race, trying to figure out what the hell he was doing there.

"I'm here for the Charlatan, not some third-rate smuggler," Sloane said, dismissing Reyes, still looking around for the Charlatan to show up.

Nova met Reyes' eyes for an answer, and her stomach flipped when she met his gaze—he looked _guilty_.

"No," she muttered, her breath catching in her throat as her breathing grew uneasy.

"What's wrong now?" Sloane asked, annoyed.

"He's the Charlatan," Nova said, her voice lilting, the statement more of a question since she was unwilling to believe what was happening.

Reyes confirmed her worst fears, quickly tearing his gaze from hers and plastering a smirk on his face as he stared down at Sloane. "Surprise."

Nova felt heat flood to her face as anger exploded inside her. He wasn't going to drop _that_ bomb on her and then pretend she wasn't there. "You've been lying to me this whole time?" she shouted up at him, stomping towards the ledge he was perched on.

"Not about everything," he answered cooly. "You know who I really am."

"Are you kidd—"

"You said you wanted to 'settle things,'" Sloane cut in, stepping forward beside Nova. "How?"

Reyes jumped off his perch and stepped up to them, without giving Nova a glance, entirely focused on Sloane. Nova's cheeks burned, her fists clenched at her side.

"A duel," he began, "You and me. Right now. Winner takes Kadara Port."

Nova's heart pumped faster in her chest, worry mixing with anger, and she inserted herself into the face-off once again. "You can't be serious? You want to avoid war by shooting each other?"

"Two people shooting each other is better than a lot of people shooting each other," Reyes answered, then turning his attention back to Sloane. "Well?"

"I'll take those terms," she answered, glancing to Nova. "Remember our deal, Pathfinder."

Without another word, the two stepped away from Nova, moving to opposite sides of the cave. Nova blinked rapidly, trying to assess the situation and sort through her jumbled thoughts, all past the sound of her racing heartbeat reverberating throughout her head.

Did Sloane expect to help her win the duel? After dismissing her like a child? And wasn't that cheating? Plus, how could she help Sloane when that meant it Reyes would die? It was Reyes! _Reyes_. Who was the Charlatan. Who had been lying to her since the day they met. Reyes who had probably been using her to get to Sloane, since now he didn't seem to care about her and was just dismissing her like Sloane was. And she'd fallen for him like an idiot.

Swallowing hard, Nova glanced at Reyes. He and Sloane were circling each other, their hands hovering near their holsters, fingers twitching, ready to draw their pistols like in one of the old western movies she and Liam had watched. She stared at Reyes, her chest tight as she frantically tried to figure out what to do, when she saw a flash in the darkness behind him.

"Sniper. His sights are set on Sloane," SAM said in her head, answering her question before she could even ask. The moment she processed his words, she darted out between the two opponents, biotics glowing around her as she put up a barrier between them.

The sniper took a shot just as she moved, and it would have been a direct hit if it hadn't hit her biotic barrier instead.

Sloane huffed, eyeing Reyes with a dirty look before drawing her gun and turning her attention to Nova. "It's him or me. Only one of us can rule Kadara. Remember, I'll let you have an outpost."

"Nova," Reyes called out, and she turned to face him. "I want peace. Sloane will bring war to Heleus. We don't have the population to survive that."

Blue energy danced around her fingertips as she looked back and forth between Sloane and Reyes. She could hold her barrier up for a while—the tingling feeling of her biotics over her body wouldn't become painful for a long time—but that didn't matter. Sloane and Reyes had come into that cave to fight for Kadara, pretending she wasn't even there, and now that they were stuck in this situation _she_ was the one who was going to decide their fate. She had to decide who would rule Kadara, not to mention what happened to the man she was involved with.

 _No pressure, Nova_ , she thought to herself, trying to breathe deeply as her muscles tensed. She turned an apologetic gaze to Sloane, her stomach sinking. "I'm sorry."

Before Sloane could answer, Nova twisted her fingers, adjusting the barrier so that it was no longer between Sloane and Reyes, but only around Reyes. The moment the blue energy was no longer protecting Sloane, the sniper took another shot.

Closing her eyes, Nova let her biotics fade away, ignoring the thump Sloane's body made as it hit the ground. She heard Reyes give orders to someone, but she didn't bother listening to specifics, too busy trying to control her erratic breathing. When she was finally calm enough to open her eyes, Sloane's body was gone, and Reyes was on his omni-tool, no doubt giving more orders for his take-over of Kadara. She turned towards the exit of the cave and started to rush towards it, desperate for fresh air.

"Nova!"

She stopped and whirled around to face Reyes, shaking her head. "This is why you didn't want me to meet Sloane," she accused. "Not because you were worried about me, but because you were worried I'd find out the truth!"

"Nova—"

"Have you just been using me this whole time to undermine Sloane's power?"

"It started off that way—"

"Oh my god."

"—but then I got to know you," Reyes finished, desperately. " _Mi luz_ , please."

"Don't call me that," Nova snapped, breathing heavy. "Why didn't you tell me, Reyes? After everything… I trusted you and you lied right to my face!"

He hesitated, looking down before he raised his eyes to hers again, his voice soft when he answered. "I liked the way you looked at me. I was afraid that would change."

Huffing, Nova blinked back tears.

"Nova," he breathed, reaching for her, but she stepped back, shaking her head.

"No. You are not the man I thought you were."

"I wanted to be," he said, almost so quiet that she didn't hear it.

She turned from him, crossing her arms, swallowing past the knot in her throat. "Now what?"

"I get to work. Kadara Port won't take itself, he replied. He opened his mouth to say something else but stopped himself, giving her one last look before leaving the cave.

Nova took another moment to gather herself before she started back towards the cave entrance where her entire squad was waiting for her—she didn't look forward to explaining what happened to them. They'd all warned her to be careful getting involved with Reyes… maybe she should have listened.

\- . - . - . - . -

Nova breathed in deep, her eyes closed as her hand hovered over the holo-panel on the door. Ignoring the sounds coming from the first level of Tartarus so she could focus on her own thoughts, she let out the puff of air trapped in her lungs and pressed the panel, the door sliding open before her.

Reyes stood from his usual spot on his couch when he saw her, her name falling from his lips as he hesitantly watched her enter the room. She couldn't bear to meet his gaze, keeping her eyes to the floor as she sat on the couch, folding her hands in her lap.

"I'm surprised you're not in the throne room. I thought Tartarus would be too shabby for Kadara's new leader," she started, bitterness seeping into her voice.

"Come on, Nova," he answered, almost purring. "You know I prefer to rule from the shadows. He was trying too hard, and it wasn't helping.

"This is your chance to go legitimate," she snapped, glaring at him.

"I'm not built for the spotlight," he answered simply, and she frowned. "The angara you met at Sloane's party—Keema Dohrgun. She's agreed to be my front."

Nova had figured as much when she went to Sloane's old throne room looking for Reyes and had seen the angaran sitting on the throne instead. That's when she found herself walking the familiar path to Tartarus in search of Reyes. "So Keema knew you were the Charlatan, then?" she asked.

Reyes hesitated before answering. "Yes."

"Of course she did."

"The secrecy around my identity isn't malicious. It's so I can operate freely. Keema's a part of that operation."

"Right."

"Nova—"

"Were you ever going to tell me?" she interrupted, eyes searching his.

Reyes held her gaze, his throat bobbing as he swallowed. "I only lied because I didn't want the rumors surrounding 'the Charlatan' to taint your view of me."

"That doesn't answer the question, Reyes." Nova sighed. "If I didn't find out myself… would you have ever told me that you were the Charlatan?"

She waited for his answer as he stared back at her, searching his eyes for any hint of what he would say. Finally, he tore his gaze from her and her stomach dropped. "I don't know," he breathed.

"That's what really hurts," Nova forced out past a growing knot in her throat.

"I wanted to tell you so many times."

"But you didn't!" Her voice was louder than she expected it to be, and he snapped his gaze back to her. She stood up, clenching and un-clenching her hands, resisting the urge to pace around the private room. Reyes stood up as well, slowly approaching her. "Don't you get it? I don't care that you're the Charlatan," She continued, unable to stop the words from flying out of her mouth. "I just care that you liked to me about it—after letting me believe I was getting to know the real you. After letting me care about you."

Placing his hands on her arms, Reyes stepped up to her. "Nova, I am truly sorry."

She shook her head, shrugging out of his grasp. "It's not enough," she said, tears prickling the corners of her eyes. "I thought I was okay with not knowing everything about what you do, but I'm not. One tear escaped, falling down her cheek and she huffed, wiping it away with the heel of her hand. "I can't do this, Reyes. We're done."

Reyes' jaw clenched at her words, his shoulders sagging as his head fell. When he managed to look at her, his lips were pressed thin, his brows drawn together. "I… I understand," he forced out, voice thick.

"I just…"

"It's okay," he said softly, hand reaching for her face. He stopped himself and put it back at his side, a sad smile on his lips. "Besides, you were always too good for me." They stared at each other for a long moment until Reyes cleared his throat, giving her a serious look. "With Sloane gone, there's room for the Initiative on Kadara."

Sniffling, Nova rubbed her eyes and stood up straighter. "Uh, yeah… I'll start rounding up volunteers for an outpost, I guess. It might take a while—I don't know if anyone will want to live on a planet full of exiles."

"I want this outpost as much as you do," he answered, serious. "I will have my full protection. That's a promise."

"Thanks," she said, quietly. "And Vehn Terev? Sloane's people haven't found him yet."

"My people will continue to look for him. I'll contact you the moment he is found."

"Okay." Nova sighed. "I should get back to the Tempest and tell Tann the news."

Reyes nodded. "Goodbye, Nova."

"Goodbye, Reyes." With one last longing stare, she turned and started towards the door. She could feel Reyes' gaze on her the whole time, but she didn't look back. She couldn't risk losing her nerve and running back into his arms—their relationship was over.


End file.
